Question: I want to get my private pilot certificate, but I was told that I will never be able to because red-green colorblindness runs in the family. If I have it, will that keep me from being a pilot?

Answer: Not necessarily. Red-green color vision deficiency—a fancy term for colorblindness—is also known as deuteranomaly and is the most common form of the condition. Because aviation is filled with color-coded information—including light gun signals, arcs on the airspeed indicator, lights in the cockpit, presentation on glass cockpit instruments, airport signs, lights and symbology on sectionals—color vision is important, especially at night when colored lights are used to identify aircraft in flight and determine its direction relative to you and locate airports by spotting the rotating beacon.

• READ MORE: FAA Updates its Policy for Special Medical Flight Tests

As a private pilot, you will be required to obtain a medical certificate that includes color vision testing using a pseudoisochromatic color plate test. It’s a series of several dots of a specific color arranged to form a number while other dots of a different color surround them. People with color perception challenges may have difficulty distinguishing the numbers. If you fail this test because of red-green colorblindness, you will still be able to obtain a medical certificate, but there will be a limitation preventing you from flying at night. The FAA defines this restriction as “no night flying or color signal control.” You will still be able to fly during the day. The night limitation exists because  land airports are identified by rotating green and white beacons at night.

The post Can a Pilot Be Colorblind? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: A friend told me a story about an airplane that intentionally landed on the lawn of the White House. That got us to wondering, have any U.S. presidents actually held a pilot certificate?

Answer: I think the story your friend recalls is about a Helio Courier, a STOL aircraft designed during the Cold War. There are variations on the story: one is that it was put down in the Rose Garden; another has it landing in the courtyard of the Pentagon. Both times it was a demonstration of the ability to win a military contract.

• READ MORE: As FAA Investigates, Most Laugh Off Gyrocopter Stunt

To answer your question about U.S. presidents holding pilot certificates, there have been three: Dwight D. Eisenhower earned his certificate during his time in the U.S. Army, George H.W. Bush was a decorated Naval aviator who served in World War II, and George W. Bush also held a pilot certificate before taking office.

It’s also worthy to note that first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, obtained a student pilot certificate in the early 1930s as she was good friends with Amelia Earhart. Roosevelt logged 35 hours in a Piper Cub. FDR supposedly had reservations about the pair flying together. It may have had something to do with the time they ducked out of a state dinner to go flying— still wearing their evening gowns.

The post Did Any U.S. Presidents Hold Pilot Certificates? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: I know student pilots aren’t supposed to carry passengers, but can two student pilots fly together? Since both hold a student pilot certificate, doesn’t that make them both a crewmember and not a passenger?

Answer: No and no. Per FAR 61.89, which covers the limitations on student pilots, a student pilot may not act as pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft carrying a passenger. Unless the aircraft, by type rating, is certified as requiring a crew of two (or more), that means one of the people on board is a passenger.

A student pilot can’t participate as a required member of the crew unless they are receiving instruction that indicates a CFI is on board.

Two student pilots in an airplane without an instructor is breaking the rules.

• READ MORE: Respect the Limitations of the Solo

There are some student pilots who try to argue their way around this by saying the FAA has not defined the term passenger, suggesting that as long as the other person holds a pilot certificate, they are not a passenger. Again, no. A student pilot who breaks this rule and is caught will be sanctioned by the FAA, and it is very likely their flight instructor will be contacted and possibly sanctioned.

There is a reason the limitations governing student pilots are included on the pre-solo exam and that phrase warning against the carriage of passengers is prohibited. When flying with an instructor during a flight lesson, you can carry a passenger because the CFI, not the student, is the PIC.

The post Can 2 Student Pilots Fly Together? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Why is white used as a base color for so many aircraft? You look out on the ramp and most of the airplanes are white with stripes. Is that to make them more visible?

Answer: The color white is the most reflective, so it helps dissipate solar radiation. You may have noticed that the roofs of many buildings are painted white. The color reflects heat. Unfortunately, a white airplane flying over a city or town where most of the buildings have white roofs can make the airplane hard to see against that background. This is why white is usually the base color, and stripes or decals in contrasting colors are used on the aircraft. Some aircraft owners select their colors not for aesthetics, but for maximum visibility. The most visible colors against blue or gray skies are red and yellow.

The post Why Are So Many Airplanes Painted White? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: The EFB I use has an option for MOS forecasts… What is that and can that be used legally for planning a flight?

Answer: MOS stands for model output statistics and is pronounced “moss.” MOS has been around since the 1960s and was originally developed to provide aviation meteorologists with guidance to produce useful forecasts to pilots. But over the last decade, MOS has been making its way into the aviator’s toolkit and is offered by a couple of the heavyweight electronic flight bag (EFB) apps. 

So, what does MOS offer? Crazy as it may seem, most pilots really want to know what’s happening at an airport from a weather perspective. Before they depart, they’d like to know what the ceiling or visibility will be like when they reach their destination. Will they get that visual approach or will they need to prepare to fly an instrument approach? Or perhaps they want to find an airport with favorable winds to practice some crosswind landings. 

There’s nothing special about these requirements, however. One nice aspect about MOS is that it’s available for more than 2,100 civilian and military airports throughout the U.S. and its territories. At the moment, the National Weather Service (NWS) only issues a terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) for 700 airports in this same region. So, if your departure, destination, or alternate airport does not have a TAF, MOS provides some useful guidance about the expected meteorological conditions significant to aviation at those airports at the time of your departure or arrival. 

Here’s the technical part. Most weather prediction models that you often hear about on the local news, such as the American or European model, don’t automatically produce a point forecast for a specific town or airport for various sensible weather elements, such as ceiling height, visibility, and surface wind. This is where MOS shines. 

MOS combines this “raw” model forecast with geoclimatic data in an attempt to improve upon it using a statistical method. It relates observed weather elements (decades of past observations) to appropriate variables (predictors) via a statistical approach. Because it uses geoclimatic data, MOS is capable of accounting for local effects that cannot be resolved by these models alone. In other words, if the airport is in a valley or on a hilltop or next to a large body of water, MOS is able to account for that local topography. It’s a lot like the old local pilot who has been flying for 50 or more years that can tell you exactly what to expect on the final approach when the winds are coming off of the mountains west of the airport. 

The other important element is that MOS downscales the model data into weather elements important to aviation. This includes, but is not limited to, cloud coverage, ceiling height, prevailing visibility, wind speed and direction, precipitation type, and the probability of precipitation or thunderstorms. 

While MOS does an excellent job most of the time, remember it’s an automated forecast—there’s no human in the loop like a TAF. It should never be used as a wholesale replacement for a forecaster-issued TAF. So it should never be used to replace a TAF from a legal perspective. If the airport has a TAF, that forecast needs to be used to determine if an alternate is required and alternate minimums for instrument flight rules. MOS guidance is best used as a way to fill in the blanks when the official forecasts don’t provide the details necessary. 

• READ MORE: Navigating Smoke

Two of the three existing MOS forecasts are being retired in the next few years. However, the only version of MOS that has made its way into the FAA literature (see the Aviation Weather Handbook/FAA-H-8083-28) is called LAMP, which stands for localized aviation MOS program. It is issued hourly and is being fully supported by the NWS in the foreseeable future. Does this effectively mean that LAMP can be used to make operational decisions about a flight? I’ll let the legal scholars opine on that. Nevertheless, visit https://vlab.noaa.gov/web/mdl/lamp to view the suite of LAMP forecasts.  

MOS has some important limitations you should know about. It cannot forecast multiple cloud layers as you see in a TAF. Except for when the forecast is shown as clear, a single fixed cloud layer is the best MOS can do at this point, and it cannot tell the difference between a definite and indefinite ceiling. MOS also cannot directly forecast showers in the vicinity (VCSH) or fog in the vicinity (VCFG), nor can it forecast precipitation intensity or tell the difference between rain or drizzle. MOS is also unable to predict a variable wind.

The post What Is a MOS Forecast? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Why do some general aviation airplanes have static wicks on them and others don’t? I thought they were there to prevent lightning strikes—don’t all airplanes need this?

Answer: Static wicks are attached to an airplane to discharge static electricity. 

The static wicks—sometimes known as static dischargers—are often attached to the thinnest metal surfaces on the aircraft such as the horizontal stabilizer and ailerons. As the airplane moves through the air—any air—it picks up a static charge. Although a lightning strike is the big kahuna of a static charge, the static wicks don’t repel lighting, rather they dissipate the electrical charge.

• READ MORE: I Lost My Logbook. What Now?

When flying through clouds and precipitation such as those encountered when instrument flight rules (IFR) prevail, the static charge is greater than in clear weather (remember P-static?) Therefore, static wicks are more common on aircraft certified for IFR conditions, as opposed to VFR-only aircraft such as the Piper J-3 Cub. Also, IFR aircraft are much more reliant on radios, and static electricity can greatly compromise radio fidelity.

• READ MORE: Are Student Pilots Allowed to Fly Solo at Night?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Why Don’t All Airplanes Have Static Wicks? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: It’s been decades since I last flew as PIC, and [after] moving several times since I was last current, I’ve lost my pilot’s logbook. I’m trying to get active again since retiring. What’s the best way to document my approximate hours and endorsements? I do have a new copy of my FAA-issued certificate.

• READ MORE: Are Student Pilots Allowed to Fly Solo at Night?

Answer: The FAA’s General Aviation Operations Inspector’s Handbook (FAA Order 8700.1) provides guidance for reconstructing lost airman logbooks. It states: “The airman should begin with a signed and notarized statement of previous flight time as the basis for starting a new flight time record. Such a statement should be substantiated by all available evidence such as aircraft logbooks, receipts for aircraft rentals, and statements of flight operators.” But if it has been decades since you last acted as pilot in command, and probably longer since you did your training, this is probably a long shot.

• READ MORE: How Can dBZ Values Be Negative?

You can request copies of your medical application and Airman Certificate and/or Rating Applications (FAA Form 8710) from the FAA, which will have documentation of your experience at the time of application. You can access this by contacting the Airmen Certification branch at 9-AMC-AFS760-Airmen@faa.gov or 405-954-3261 and follow the prompts to request your records.

As far as additional endorsements, such as tailwheel, complex and high performance, etc., if they are not recorded on the last 8710 on file, you will need to be reendorsed. But since you will need a flight review anyway, you may want to kill two snakes with one rock and do the recurrent training for the flight review in an aircraft that requires an endorsement. Good luck, and welcome back to the sky!

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post I Lost My Logbook. What Now? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: My instructor soloed me last week and said I would need another endorsement to fly solo at night. Another CFI told me that student pilots aren’t allowed to fly solo at night. Which is correct?

Answer: Your instructor is correct. FAR 61.87 section (o) reads: “Limitations on student pilots operating an aircraft in solo flight at night: A student pilot may not operate an aircraft in solo flight at night unless that student pilot has received flight training at night on night flying procedures that include takeoffs, approaches, landings, and go-arounds at night at the airport where the solo flight will be conducted.”

There also needs to be navigation training at night in the vicinity of the airport where the solo flight will take place, and the instructor needs to endorse the student’s logbook for the specific make and model aircraft to be flown for night solo flight. 

• READ MORE: How Can dBZ Values Be Negative?

Night takeoffs and landings can be a little tricky because of the lack of visual cues you have in the daylight. In addition, make sure you know how to activate the runway lights. This is usually done by clicking the microphone transmit button a set number of times.

The night solo endorsement is good for 90 days, just like the daylight endorsement. If the takeoffs and landings are being done for currency at night, they need to be done to a full stop.

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

In regard to student pilots not being allowed to fly at night, provided they have the night solo endorsement, the student pilot is legal in the eyes of the FAA. The flight school, however, may have a policy against student pilot solo flight at night. It may even have a rule that student pilots need to be on the ground one hour before sunset. Check the renter’s agreement before you commit.

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Are Student Pilots Allowed to Fly Solo at Night? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: On some NEXRAD images, I sometimes see a negative value for dBZ (decibel related to Z) for the reflectivity. How can these values be negative?

Answer: Of all of the weather guidance available to pilots prior to a flight, the images produced by the NWS WSR-88D NEXRAD Doppler radars are likely the most widely used in the U.S. These images have an extremely high glance value and are packed with important life-saving guidance assuming that a pilot knows how to interpret all the pretty colors.  

The colors you see on the Nexrad image displayed by your favorite website or heavyweight electronic flight bag (EFB) app depend on many factors. Unfortunately, accepted standards do not exist in the industry. Any private organization, vendor, or government agency is free to map the data (e.g., reflectivity) to colors of their choosing (although certified displays in the cockpit do have standards). Depending on their operational requirements, they may use three colors representing light, moderate, or heavy precipitation—or they are free to use 30 different colors.  So, it is important always to reference the scale that is normally located somewhere on the image or around the image border. For EFBs, that legend may be located on their interactive map, or you may have to look it up in their pilots guide. 

• READ MORE: Are Pilots Required to Call Flight Service for a Briefing Before Departure?

More importantly, there are many kinds of images and products that you may encounter. Therefore, knowing the kind of radar image you are viewing is also paramount. The image may display base reflectivity from a single NWS Nexrad radar that is in clear-air mode. Or it may be one of the volume products such as composite reflectivity or echo top heights. Another possibility is that the image may represent a radar mosaic that has combined the base reflectivity or composite reflectivity data from multiple Nexrad sites into a regional or national image.

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

While forecasters at the various NWS local weather forecast offices (WFOs) do have real-time access to all of the data, the “raw” data that is generated by the WSR-88D Nexrad Doppler radars is not distributed directly to other government and private organizations in real time. Therefore, a Nexrad Information Dissemination Service (NIDS) has been established that includes only a subset of the entire WSR-88D base and derived products for use by external users. Below is the RPG console that you’ll find at every WFO that manages a WSR-88D Nexrad Doppler radar.

One of the most ubiquitous products is called base reflectivity. Note that the term “base” does not mean “lowest” as most pilots are taught or assume. It comes from the term “base data” since every elevation scan has a base reflectivity product (note in the image above that says “Base Data Display”). How you interpret the base reflectivity image will depend on the mode of the radar. In most cases, the base reflectivity will be the lowest elevation scan on various websites and apps since it better approximates the precipitation that is falling from the base of the cloud.     

The WSR-88D radar operates in one of two modes: precipitation and clear air. The main difference between the two is that clear-air mode offers the advantage of greater sensitivity because of a slower antenna rotation rate, which allows more energy to be returned back to the radar. However, clear-air mode takes twice as long to generate a product so it suffers from temporal resolution, but is able to detect smaller objects in the atmosphere such as light snow or drizzle.   

In either mode, the radar sends out a known pulse of energy in the microwave band (a wavelength of 10 cm to 11 cm). Some of this energy strikes airborne objects referred to as hydrometeors. This includes rain, snow, hail, dust, birds, insects, etc. and the power returned is referred to as the reflectivity parameter or Z. In basic terms, Z is the density of water drops (measured in millimeters raised to the sixth power) per cubic meter of air. As you might expect, there is a very wide range of possible Z values. Converting Z to dBZ (decibels of Z) makes that range smaller and easier to use.

When the radar is in precipitation mode, the range of dBZ values displayed can be as low as 5 to a maximum of 75, whereas clear-air mode offers a range from -28 to +28. Negative dBZ values can occur in clear-air mode because dBZ is a logarithmic function. So, an increase of only 3 dBZ actually represents a doubling of power returned. Anytime Z is less than 1 mm⁶/m³, dBZ becomes negative because of the nature of logarithms. Negative dBZs are only found when the radar is in clear-air mode such as shown above. This radar image shows light snow falling around the Bismarck, North Dakota, area. Given that light snow is falling, the operator at the NWS set the radar to its most sensitive mode, namely, clear-air mode. Notice the negative dBZ values in the dark taupe color. If the radar were in precipitation mode, the amount of coverage would be limited to the baby blue areas. 

A negative dBZ means that the radar is detecting very small hydrometeors. As mentioned above, this is a great way for forecasters to detect very dry light snow or drizzle which have lower reflectivity values. One of the disadvantages of clear-air mode is that any dBZ value under 5 typically gets filtered by the datalink weather. The Nexrad clear-air mode image above shows a rather wide area of light precipitation around the Bismarck radar site that represents light snow in this case. However, the SiriusXM weather image shown below only includes the returns that are greater than 5 dBZ. The areas shown in the taupe color in the Nexrad image have been effectively filtered out of the SiriusXM-delivered product due to their lower dBZ values.     

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post How Can dBZ Values Be Negative? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Am I required to call flight service to get a briefing before I depart?

Answer: The short answer is no. The regulations do not specifically state that you must call Lockheed Martin Flight Service (LMFS) (e.g., 800-WX-BRIEF) to get a briefing. FAR 91.103 (a) simply states, in part:

91.103 Preflight action.

Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include—

(a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC.

• READ MORE: Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern?

Certainly, a phone call on a recorded line to Flight Service (now known as Leidos) will fulfill most of these requirements. Briefers can provide the adverse weather along your proposed route of flight and assist you with identifying important NOTAMs and TFRs that may be relevant. You still must check many other aspects of the flight, such as takeoff and landing distances as well as weight and balance. But from a weather perspective, can you skip the call to Leidos and roll your own “weather” briefing and be perfectly legal?

Yes, you can, but here are the caveats. The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and advisory circulars such as Aviation Weather Services, AC 00-45H, Change 2, provide you with guidance on how to get a good preflight briefing. These documents mention making the call to 800-WX-BRIEF as a legitimate source. While these documents are not regulatory, if you decide to roll your own briefing and something bad happens during your flight, you will likely need to show the FAA how you briefed yourself for the flight. If you can’t or your explanation isn’t satisfactory, the FAA will likely cite this as being “careless or reckless” under FAR 91.13 since it handed you the proper recipe for a briefing in these nonregulatory documents that clearly state it is wise to make that phone call.

Nevertheless, the FAA is making a reasonable attempt to recognize that more and more pilots are briefing on their own and not making that phone call. In the revision memorandum in AC 00-45H, Change 2 (November 2016) it states:

The experience of listening to a weather briefing over a phone while trying to write down pertinent weather information becomes less tolerable when the reports are easily obtainable on a home computer, tablet computer, or even a smartphone. To see weather along your route using a graphic of plotted weather reports combined with radar and satellite is preferable to trying to mentally visualize a picture from verbalized reports. Although most of the traditional weather products, which rolled off the teletype and facsimile machines decades ago, are still available, some are being phased out by the National Weather Service (NWS) in favor of new, Web-based weather information.

I fully approve of this message.

• READ MORE: How Many Hours in What Aircraft Are Needed Before Commercial Check Ride?

Moreover, a letter dated June 28, 2017, from the assistant chief counsel of the FAA stated in a legal interpretation that, “The PIC’s failure to contact LMFS prior to a flight would not be a violation of 91.103.”

How about using one of the heavyweight electronic flight bag (EFB) apps to get your briefing? Yes, some of the heavyweight apps also provide a way to get a briefing that is logged and recorded that will fulfill the regulatory requirements in part. In fact, the FAA stated in the same 2017 opinion letter that “similarly, a PIC’s reliance on only an EFB would not be a per se violation of 91.103.” The letter also cautioned that “we note, however, that there may be limitations and quality assurance issues in connection with the information available through certain EFB products that may affect compliance with 91.103 and necessitate further information gathering regarding the flight.”

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Are Pilots Required to Call Flight Service for a Briefing Before Departure? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Why are some buildings at airports painted in a checkerboard pattern and others in solid colors?

Answer: The short answer is that the FAA has determined that some structures need to be more visible than others during daylight hours. 

• READ MORE: How Many Hours in What Aircraft Are Needed Before Commercial Check Ride?

According to Advisory Circular (AC) 70/7460-1L, “recommendations on marking structures can vary, depending on terrain features, weather patterns, geographic location, and the number of structures.” The AC goes on to state “alternate sections of aviation orange and white paint should be used as the contrast in colors provides maximum visibility of an obstruction.”

The checkerboard pattern of aviation orange and white are normally displayed on water, gas, and grain storage tanks, as well as structures exceeding 10.5 feet across with a horizontal dimension that is equal to or greater than the vertical dimension of some buildings.

• READ MORE: Why Are Windsocks the Color They Are?

The same AC states the sides of the checkerboard pattern “should measure not less than 5 feet or more than 20 feet and should be as nearly square as possible.”

For cylindrical objects like communication towers, poles, and smokestacks, horizontal, alternating bands of aviation orange and white are used in odd numbers.

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Why Are Some Airport Buildings Painted in a Checkerboard Pattern? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: I am preparing for my commercial pilot check ride. In addition to the hourly experience requirements I have logged six hours in a G1000 Cessna 172 (a technically advanced aircraft or TAA) and five hours of experience in a complex aircraft, specifically a Cessna 172RG. One of the instructors at the school says I need 10 hours in one or the other to qualify for the check ride. 

My previous instructor, however, said I needed a total of 10 hours, and I could mix the experience and even take the check ride in a Cessna 150 to save money. Which CFI is correct?

Answer: Your previous instructor is correct.

For this one, we refer to FAR 61.129—Aeronautical experience for the commercial certificate, airplane single-engine rating, with the relevant clause in bold text.

• READ MORE: Can I Fly VFR in Smoke?

61.129 (3) states:

 (3) 20 hours of training on the areas of operation listed in § 61.127(b)(1) of this part that includes at least—

(i) Ten hours of instrument training using a view-limiting device including attitude instrument flying, partial panel skills, recovery from unusual flight attitudes, and intercepting and tracking navigational systems. Five hours of the 10 hours required on instrument training must be in a single engine airplane;

(ii) 10 hours of training in a complex airplane, a turbine-powered airplane, or a technically advanced airplane (TAA) that meets the requirements of paragraph (j) of this section, or any combination thereof. The airplane must be appropriate to land or sea for the rating sought.

It is also correct that you can take your commercial check ride in a Cessna 150—just make sure that both you and your designated pilot examiner fit in it and comply with weight and balance limitations.

• READ MORE: Am I Required to Call Flight Service to Get a Briefing Before I Depart?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post How Many Hours in What Aircraft Are Needed Before Commercial Check Ride? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Are student pilots allowed to fly solo in smoke? Although the wildfires are more than 50 miles away, the smoke has been drifting over my airport. Is it legal for me to fly in smoke?

• READ MORE: Why Do Pilots Use Checklists?

Answer: The real question here is: Are conditions VFR, MVFR, or IFR because of the smoke? If the conditions are IFR, and you do not have an instrument rating and are not flying on an IFR flight plan, what the heck would you be doing up there? I say this in jest, but that’s the first metric to assess.

Smoke falls under the category of “Adverse Conditions.” Per Chapter 7 of the Aeronautical Information Manual, “pilots should be especially alert for current or forecast weather that could reduce flight minimums below VFR or IFR conditions,” meaning reduced visibility. Smoke will definitely do that.

• READ MORE: Am I Required to Call Flight Service to Get a Briefing Before I Depart?

Chapter 7 gives the metrics for Low IFR, IFR, Marginal VFR, and VFR with reference to ceilings and visibility, and notes in the example that ceiling and visibility can be restricted by haze and smoke. If the ceiling and visibility are below VFR, MVFR, or below the limitations your CFI has put in your logbook for solo flight, you’d best stay on the ground.

Smoke from fires can take you by surprise. When you get your weather briefing, note where the fires are and which way the winds are blowing. And always be prepared to divert to an alternate airport.

• READ MORE: Who Is PIC When 2 Certificated Pilots Fly Together?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Can I Fly VFR in Smoke? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: I’m training to be a pilot and my CFI keeps hounding me to use the checklist, especially during the preflight inspection. But when I flew with another CFI and we were going over engine failure at altitude, the CFI told me I should have the procedure memorized although it is printed on the checklist. Which instructor is correct?

Answer: They both are. The purpose of the checklist is to make sure specific items are inspected in a logical manner. For example, on the preflight you start in the cockpit of the aircraft to check for documents then continue to the exterior of the aircraft, following a path that takes you around the airplane until you end up back in the cockpit. Pro tip: If you are interrupted during the preflight inspection, back up three items on the checklist.

When there is a loss of engine power at altitude, the first thing you do is achieve best glide airspeed. The second thing is to identify the best place to land, and then you go to the emergency checklist. It is critical to establish the best glide because that airspeed gives you the most distance for the altitude you have. Best place to land could mean the difference between going down in the trees or making a deadstick landing in an empty field.  Once you have achieved the best glide and the airplane is heading toward the best place to land, that’s when you pull out the emergency checklist, verify you have done the first two things, and commence troubleshooting.

The post Why Do Pilots Use Checklists? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: I have a private pilot certificate, and I want to build time by flying a Cessna 172 with a friend who also has a private certificate and wants to build time. How do we determine who is pilot in command (PIC) on these flights? Is it the person who sits in the left seat? Can we both be PIC?

Answer: Let’s start by reviewing FAR 91.3, which defines pilot in command as “the person directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of the aircraft.” It does not state which seat the person needs to be in, However, (puts on CFI cap) you will note that flying from the right seat may be a little more difficult (at first) because the sight picture is different from the left. Takeoffs and landings can be a little tricky initially.

• READ MORE: What Airport Areas Are Considered Tarmac?

FAR 61.57 reminds us that “no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers or of an aircraft certificated for more than one pilot flight crewmember unless that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings within the preceding 90 days, and the person has acted as the sole manipulator of the flight controls.” If either you or your friend are out of currency, you cannot be PIC on the flight until you do three takeoffs and landings.

When it comes flying with another pilot, make sure you designate responsibilities before you start the engine. For example, you will be the PIC, therefore the pilot on the controls. Your friend will be in charge of radios and navigation during the flight. Say the words out loud: “I am the pilot and command, and you are on the radios and navigation.” Insist your friend confirms understanding of those responsibilities back to you—”You are the PIC, and I am in charge of the radios and navigation,”—so there is no confusion.

• READ MORE: Is It Possible to Legally Fly a Cessna 150 as an LSA?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Who Is PIC When 2 Certificated Pilots Fly Together? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: At the airport I hear pilots using the word tarmac when they are talking about the places where aircraft taxi and park. But I also hear the term ‘ramp’ applied to this space. Which is correct?

• READ MORE: Does ASOS Have a Built-in Lightning Detection?

Answer: Technically both are correct. The ramp is the space where aircraft ground operations such as taxing and parking take place. Tarmac is a shortened version of Tarmacadam, a type of pavement made out of crushed stone covered in tar. The ramp at a paved airport is made of this. 

The crushed stone surface was invented by an engineer named John McAdam in the 19th century. As the story goes, the tar part of tarmac was developed when a businessman named Edgar Purnell Hooley, who happened by a tar factory and noticed a bar of tar had spilled onto a macadamized road. To keep people from getting stuck in the tar, the factory spread gravel over the spill, resulting in a durable and dust-free roadway. Hooley patented and trademarked Tarmac in 1901.

In addition to replacing dirt roads, the surface was applied at airports when they evolved from grass fields to the pavement we know today.

• READ MORE: Why Do Runways Get Renumbered?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post What Airport Areas Are Considered Tarmac? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Does an automated surface observation system (ASOS) have a built-in lightning detection system? Without an observer, how does it know to add a thunderstorm (TS), thunderstorms in the vicinity (VCTS), or tell you about lightning in the distance?

Answer: Some ASOS sites do have a single-site lightning sensor in the array. If there isn’t a lightning sensor at the site, it is still possible for the ASOS to report lightning. For FAA-sponsored ASOS sites without a lightning sensor, lightning data is made available to the ASOS through the automated lightning detection and ranging system (ALDARS), which is a ground-based lightning detection system. ALDARS is not coresident with the sensor and sends the data to the ASOS. Here’s how it all works at a simplified level.

• READ MORE: Why Do Runways Get Renumbered?

Without a human observer logged in to the ASOS terminal, it will format a METAR or SPECI (special observation) for lightning in one of three ways: TS, VCTS, or lightning in the distance.

1. If the cloud-to-ground lightning strike is detected within 5 miles of the ASOS (usually within the airport’s terminal area), the ASOS will make a special observation (SPECI) and carry “TS” in the body of the special observation in the present weather field. If precipitation, such as rain or freezing rain, is also detected by the sensor array, the observation will include RA (or perhaps freezing rain or drizzle) along with the precipitation intensity (e.g., +TSRA for heavy rain and thunderstorms). “TS” will continue to be carried in the present weather field in subsequent observations until no cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are observed for a 15-minute period within that 5-mile radius. At that time, the ASOS will make a second SPECI observation and officially end the thunderstorm (removes the TS from the METAR).

• READ MORE: Is It Possible to Legally Fly a Cessna 150 as an LSA?

2. If the cloud-to-ground lightning strike is between 5 miles and 10 miles of the ASOS (the vicinity of the terminal area), the ASOS will make a SPECI observation and carry “VCTS” in the body of the observation in the present weather field. “VCTS” will continue to be carried in the present weather field in subsequent METAR observations until no cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are observed for a 15-minute period in the vicinity. At that time, the ASOS will make a SPECI and officially end the report of thunderstorms in the airport’s vicinity.

3. Separate from above, or independently, if the cloud-to-ground lightning strike is between 10 miles and 30 miles of the ASOS, the ASOS will carry a “LTG DSNT XX” remark, indicating distant lightning, with “XX” being the direction of the lightning in octants. This will be appended as appropriate on all SPECI and/or METAR observations.

For stations with a human observer logged into the ASOS terminal, the observation can be overridden or augmented to include adding remarks, such as FRQ LTGICCG OHD TS OHD MOV NE, which translates to frequent (FRQ) lightning (LGT) in clouds (IC) and cloud-to-ground (CG) overhead (OHD) with thunderstorms (TS) overhead (OHD) and moving (MOV) to the northeast (NE). Lastly, in the remarks of the METAR or SPECI, you will see a group that provides the exact time the thunderstorm begins and ends, such as TSB0159E30, which means the thunderstorm began (TSB) at 0159Z and ended (E) at 30 minutes after the next hour or 0230Z.

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Does ASOS Have a Built-in Lightning Detection? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: For decades the runway of the airport I fly out of has had Runway 16-34. In a few weeks the runway will be closed for a month so that the runway can be resurfaced and renumbered 17-35. I am wondering how the FAA knows when it is time to shift?

Answer: Per the Aeronautical Information Manual, runway numbers are determined from the approach direction. The runway number is the whole number nearest one‐tenth the magnetic azimuth of the centerline of the runway, measured clockwise from the magnetic north. Magnetic azimuth is determined through the World Magnetic Model (WMM), a global means of measuring the Earth’s large-scale magnetic field.

• READ MORE: What If the CFI Forgets to Sign Your Logbook?

The magnetic field is created by the movement of iron and nickel beneath the Earth’s surface around its core. The movement creates shifts in the magnetic field, known as declination. The closer the site is to the poles, the quicker declination occurs. Measurements for the WMM come from many sources, including satellites and a global network of 120 magnetic observatories.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, every five years agencies, such as the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and FAA, review the WMM for changes. When the WMM indicates delineation of more than 7 degrees has occurred, the runway numbers are updated.

• READ MORE: Is It Possible to Legally Fly a Cessna 150 as an LSA?

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Why Do Runways Get Renumbered? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Question: Is it possible to legally fly a Cessna 150 as a light sport aircraft? I have a sport pilot certificate. A friend has offered me his 1960s 150 with a 100 hp Continental O-200-A, and empty weight is about 1,100 pounds. If I take the passenger seat out and fly with partial fuel, it would be under the 1,320-pound weight limit.

• READ MORE: What If the CFI Forgets to Sign Your Logbook?

Answer: The short answer is no, it is not legal to fly a Cessna 150 as a LSA, as the requirement for LSA is a maximum gross weight of no more than 1,320 pounds for land-based aircraft, or 1,430 if the aircraft is in the seaplane class. And by gross weight, this means the gross weight as listed on the type certificate when the aircraft rolled out of the factory, which for the 150 is 1,600 pounds.

You are not the first pilot to wonder about putting a two-place Cessna on a diet in an effort to fly it under light sport aircraft rules. Cessna 140 pilots have been pressing for a change or waiver to the regulations, as the certificated gross weight of that airplane is 1,450 pounds.

• READ MORE: How to Fly Into a Big Airshow With Confidence

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post Is It Possible to Legally Fly a Cessna 150 as an LSA? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I am a student pilot about to take my private pilot check ride. I moved about three-fourths of the way through my training, so I will be doing my check ride in a different state from where I did most of my training. 

While going through my logbook with the check airman, we noticed that I have four lines unfilled and unsigned that were lessons done with my first CFI, who is now two states away. The flights were dual cross-country flights and total 5.7 hours. The places we landed at and the length of the flights were written down, but the entries lack the details and the CFI’s signature and certificate number. Therefore, they don’t count.

• READ MORE: Can You Ask to Review Logbooks for Rental Aircraft?

I called my previous CFI and told him he’d forgotten to sign—he works at a really busy flight school, so he was always in a hurry. He said he’d if I paid for the ticket, he would fly up to Seattle to fill out my logbook so I don’t lose those 5.7 hours of cross-country experience. I can’t afford to do that and pay for my check ride. Is there a less expensive alternative?

Answer: For this one, we reached out  to our designated pilot examiner (DPE) on staff, Jason Blair. He let us know that the flight experience has to be logged but not necessarily in the pilot logbook. 

“It just has to be in a ‘training record’ of some sort,” Blair said.

For details, we called to the Flight Standards District Office, and the representative referred us to Flight Standards Information Management Systems (FSIMS) volume 5, chapter 2, section 7, which states the experience can be recorded in a “pilot logbook, training record or other reliable records as evidence of meeting the aeronautical experience for the certificate and rating sought.” FSIMS is the reference DPEs use.

Blair suggests the out-of-state CFI write out the logbook entry, sign it then send a digital image to the learner to put in their training record. Just to be sure, reach out to the DPE you plan to fly with and find out if they are comfortable with this solution.

Do you have a question about aviation that’s been bugging you? Ask us anything you’ve ever wanted to know about aviation. Our experts in general aviation, flight training, aircraft, avionics, and more may attempt to answer your question in a future article.

The post What If the CFI Forgets to Sign Your Logbook? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.